“Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world…” (Philippians 2:14-15 ESV, to be continued)
Church of Londinoupolis
Tripoli, Greece
I Samuel 11
Saul's First Challenge
•At the end of chapter 10 we saw that there were those in the Israelite camp that already questioned the leadership of Saul. Saul kept to himself in order to keep the peace in the kingdom.
•Nahash the Ammonite was a foreign ruler who went into Jabesh-gilead in order to lay seige to the Israelite community. Jabesh-gilead was a city east of the Jordan River, located outside of the rest of the nation.
•Before there was a king in Israel foreign powers had an easy time wreaking havoc on Israeli cities laying outside of the rest of the nation.
The scene that is being described is one of Nahash coming in and the Israelites ready to submit to him.
•At the end of chapter 10 we saw that there were those in the Israelite camp that already questioned the leadership of Saul. Saul kept to himself in order to keep the peace in the kingdom.
•Nahash the Ammonite was a foreign ruler who went into Jabesh-gilead in order to lay seige to the Israelite community. Jabesh-gilead was a city east of the Jordan River, located outside of the rest of the nation.
•Before there was a king in Israel foreign powers had an easy time wreaking havoc on Israeli cities laying outside of the rest of the nation.
The scene that is being described is one of Nahash coming in and the Israelites ready to submit to him.
Saul's First Challenge Continued
•Nahash agrees to the Israelites surrendering on one condition: that all of their right eyes be gouged out. Gouging out the right eye of a warrior would have left them worthless because the left eye was generally hid behind the shield.
•The elders of Jabesh asked for 7 days to send out for help and Nahash agreed. This is most likely for two reasons:
•1) Nahash didn’t want to waste his resources on a battle to take the city by force
•2) Nahash didn’t foresee anyone coming to help defend the city.
•Remember that in the days of the judges there really was no central unity or sense of nation amongst the tribes so Nahash figured no one would come to help.
•When Saul heard the messenger’s plea for help his anger became kindled and he decided that he would send an example to all the Israelites in order to get them motivated to help their brethren.
•The motivational picture worked and an army of over 130,000 showed up. They attacked the Ammonites in the very early hours of the morning- “the morning watch”- in order to take them by surprise. After the battle the people came together to show unity.
•Nahash agrees to the Israelites surrendering on one condition: that all of their right eyes be gouged out. Gouging out the right eye of a warrior would have left them worthless because the left eye was generally hid behind the shield.
•The elders of Jabesh asked for 7 days to send out for help and Nahash agreed. This is most likely for two reasons:
•1) Nahash didn’t want to waste his resources on a battle to take the city by force
•2) Nahash didn’t foresee anyone coming to help defend the city.
•Remember that in the days of the judges there really was no central unity or sense of nation amongst the tribes so Nahash figured no one would come to help.
•When Saul heard the messenger’s plea for help his anger became kindled and he decided that he would send an example to all the Israelites in order to get them motivated to help their brethren.
•The motivational picture worked and an army of over 130,000 showed up. They attacked the Ammonites in the very early hours of the morning- “the morning watch”- in order to take them by surprise. After the battle the people came together to show unity.
I Samuel 12:1-13
Samuel's Farewell Part 1
•Samuel starts his address by saying that he listened to the people and did what they asked of him- they wanted a king so that they could be like everyone else so he went out and crowned one.
•Samuel did turn over the judgeship of the tribes to Saul but he wasn’t retiring completely as he would remain a prophet and a priest.
•One of the reasons that the people had asked for a king was the dishonest sons of Samuel, so Samuel reminded the people that he had always been honest with them.
•Next Samuel reminds the people how Yahweh has saved Israel in their past.
•The recollection starts with Moses and Aaron who led the people on the exodus from Egypt into the wilderness.
•After making it into the Promised Land Samuel reminds that the people forgot what the Lord had done for them so he allowed Sisera commander of Hazor, the Moabites, and the Philistines to defeat and oppress the Israelites.
•Then the judges came with Gideon, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel (and others) who judged the people and delivered them from oppression.
•Part 1 ends with Samuel asking the people to look at the king who they asked for.
I Samuel 12:14-25
Samuel's Farewell Part 2
•Samuel reminds the people of the constant theme of the Old Testament- fear the Lord your God and serve him without rebellion.
•As long as you remember who Yahweh is and that he’s the one who butters your bread then you and your king will be good.
•If either the people of the king don’t hold up the part of the bargain where they remember Yahweh then the entire nation of Israel will pay the price.
•Next Samuel calls for a sign from the Almighty in order to prove to the people that they had made a bad decision when they demanded a king.
•The sign was for the Lord to send a thunder storm and since it was during the wheat harvest (May/ June) rain was uncommon.
•After Samuel called for the rain it started a thunder storm and it is then that the people decide that they should listen to Samuel because the rain is a sign from the Lord.
•Samuel reminds the people that they should continue to follow Yahweh and not give up and that he will continue to pray for them.
•Samuel felt that if he didn’t pray for the people that he wouldn’t be performing his duty.
•Samuel reminds the people of the constant theme of the Old Testament- fear the Lord your God and serve him without rebellion.
•As long as you remember who Yahweh is and that he’s the one who butters your bread then you and your king will be good.
•If either the people of the king don’t hold up the part of the bargain where they remember Yahweh then the entire nation of Israel will pay the price.
•Next Samuel calls for a sign from the Almighty in order to prove to the people that they had made a bad decision when they demanded a king.
•The sign was for the Lord to send a thunder storm and since it was during the wheat harvest (May/ June) rain was uncommon.
•After Samuel called for the rain it started a thunder storm and it is then that the people decide that they should listen to Samuel because the rain is a sign from the Lord.
•Samuel reminds the people that they should continue to follow Yahweh and not give up and that he will continue to pray for them.
•Samuel felt that if he didn’t pray for the people that he wouldn’t be performing his duty.